Automatic electric supervisory and signaling system.



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'Systems. Cn-"npoaim Tuifigm gmy, Matnllio am! J. G. NOLEN.

PATENTBD FEB 4, 1908.

AUTOMATIC ELECTRIC SUPERVISORY AND SIGNALING SYSTEM.

APPLICATION FILED 11110.23. 1902.

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7 k m; I H if f mwwm No. 878,012. PATENTED FEB. 4, 1908. J. G. NOLEN.

AUTOMATIC ELECTRIC S UPERVISORY AND SIGNALING SYSTEM.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 23. 1902.

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l i a S I PATENTED FEB. 4, 1908.

I I. G. NOLEN.

AUTOMATIC ELECTRIC SUPERVISORY AN-D SIGNALING SYSTEM.

APPLIOATIOK FILED D20. 23. 1902.

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APPLICATION FILED DEC. 23. 1902.

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AUTOMATIC ELECTRIC SUPERVISORY AND SIGNALING SYSTEM.

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J. G. NOLEN.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 23. 1902.

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J. G. NOLEN.

PATENTED FEB. 4, 1908.

AUTOMATIO'ELEGTRIO SUPERVISOR Y'AND SIGNALING SYSTEM.

APPLICATION FILED DBO. 23. 1902.

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' PATENTED FEB. 4, 1908.

J; G. NOLEN. AUTOMATIC ELECTRIC SUPBRVISORY ANDSIGNALING SYSTEM.

APPLICATION nun DBO. 2a. 1902.

14 SHEETS-SHEET s.

N0..878.012. PATENTED FEB. 4, 1908.

AUTOMATIC ELECTRIC SUPERVISORY AND SIGNALING SYSTEM.

- J. G. NOLEN.

' APPLICATION FILED D20. 23. 1902.

14 SHEETS-SHEET 9.

No. 8'78 012. PA I J. G. NOLEN. TENTED FEB 4, 1903 AUTOMATIC ELECTRICSUPERVISORY AND SIGNALING SYSTEM.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 23, 1902.

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I/I/lIIII/IIIIIIIIIII!fill/II/IIIIIA E v p E n 1 No. 878,012. PATENTEDFEB. 4, 1908,

J. G. NOLEN. AUTOMATIC ELECTRIC SUPERVISORY AND SIGNALING SYSTEM.

APPLIQATION FILED 1126.23. 1902.

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No. 878,012 PATENTED FEB. 4, 1908. J. G. NOLEN.

AUTOMATIC ELECTRIC SUPERVISORY AND SIGNALING SYSTEM.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 23. 1902.

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APPLIOATION FILED D30. 23. 1902.

Ti NITED STATES PATENT. F

.IAMES G. NOLEN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF 'IO FRANK B.COOK, OF

4 CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

AUTOMA'IIC ELECTRIC SUPERVISORY AND SIGNALING SYSTEM.

7 No. 878,912. Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Feb. 4, 1908. 1

Application filed December 23.1902. Serial No. 136.325. T o all whom itnto/y concern: ability of an electrical'system of this particu 55 3e itlrnown that ILJAMES G. NoLEN, a lar character. u I i citizenof the.United States of America, and To the foregoing and otherusefiil'ends myresident of Chicago,rOook county, Illinois, invention consists inmatters hereinafter set 5 have invented a certain new and useful Imforthand claimed.

I provement in Automatic Electric Supervi- In the accompanying dr wings,Figure 1 sory andj'Signalmg Systems, of which the fol a diagram showinga combined fire alarm,

lowingis la specification. v telephone and district messenger system em-My invention contemplates an improved bodying the principles of myinvention. Fig. 10 electricalsystem in which both a telephone 2 is asimilar diagram showing ianother 'op'eratonand a; district messengeroperator method of connecting the shunt'around' the may, in addition totheir ordinary duties of electro-magnet in'the master box. Fig. 3isconnecting-"11p telephone subscribers and rea diagram showing a combinedfire alarm and ceivingcalls-for messengers, also receive fire districtmessenger system embodyingithe alarm and gother signals, and havesuperviprinciples of my invention: Fig.4;i gdil- 'sionoverautomatic fireextinguisher systems. gram similar to Fig.' 3,-but showing themes-'lygstated, the; ject of myinventer box Without any. shunt connectionfor:-

iovide-a sys oftheforegoing shunting out the electro-magnet'while th n'ch will be efiicient andfreliable make-and-break mechanism issendinginT a .which'willialsofbe economicalto signal. Fig. 5 is. adiagram a i combined district messenger system fmyginventionis to pro.-system of electrical supervision 1 over an di -efficient arrangementautomatic fire-extinguishersystern F' jg umberrof circuit-breaking orshows another fornibf circiiitb'rea whic'hare distributed through ofthebuildil g, a single call box, my invention to aburglaral arrn'systefholbse to term it, and 8 is a detailillustrating tlie form ofc r p on;oan one of these breaking device employed in th'l)ifirg1a nitbreaking orclosing; devices will cause alarm system shown in Fig. 7.- Fig'.,j9..-hi jsingleYcall'box or-master box to transmit diagram similar to Fig.5.,except thatin this i signal' to'lbnelor morestations. case thecontact'devices associatedwith the her, bj ecteis to provide anefficient valves are normally open, and are notv a .rningeinentwhereb anumber of circuit shunt around the electro-inagnet in the mas-.- Idevices maybe located in a shunt ter box. Fig. 10 is a dia aniillustrating the round'theelectro-magnet in the master box, combinedfire alarm-an district messen er whioh-gmagnet,fwhen energized as aresult of system in which the contactsiare. norma y 7 e breakingoropening of the shunt, causes a open. Figs. 11 and 12 showdifierenteleas eofthe mechanism in the master box, of circuit-closingdevices for the system 1 40 the latter, in such case, being normally ii'fa shown in- Fig. 10. Fig. 13 is an enlarged: pulledcondition j upfront elevation of the master box' employed flAfurther object is toprovide a simple cirin the system shown in Fig.1 0,..the frontorcuit,arrangement whereby the aforesaid eleccover of the box being removed, soas to -,-,tro.magnet will be shunted out of the main show the internalmechanism. F1g-i 4. 1s .a 4 5iaii'cuit while the mechanism in the box isopside elevation of the box shown in Fig. .13,

' crating to transmit the signal. the casing being broken away for thepur- 100 -It is 31 0311 object to provide an arrangepose of exposing theinternal mechan sm. v ment and construction whereby certain oir- 1g. 15is an enlarged front elevation of'the i I cuits maybe maintained inaclosed condition upper portion of the master boxfemplo'. d

50 in accordance with the rules of the U" the system shown in Fig. 2,the writers. Association. a Y box beingremoved to show' v,th internal 1.iAnotlier object is, to .provide certain fmechanism. 16 a side elevationof i t't'endin the. mechanism s owniinFig -lig, Fig. 171s an enlargedfront elevationof theiinaster box mechanism employed in the system shownin Fig. 9. Fig. 18 is an enlarged detailed sectional view of the valvemechanism and circuit-closing device shown in Fig. 9. Fig. 19

shows a form of circuit-breaking device which is applicable to thesystem shown in Fig. 5. Fig. 20 shows the form of call box mechanismshown in Fig. 1; Fig. 21 shows the form of call box mechanism shown inFig. 3 Fig. 22 is a diagram showin a master box with three shunts aroundt e electroma at one shunt being provided with the le fire alarmconnections, the second shun't including the burglar alarm device, andthe third shunt including the contacts for maintaining su ervision overan automatic fire extinguis er system. Fi 23 is a shunts can be rediagram showing a master box, si ar to the master box shown in Fig. 22,and showing also thethree kinds of circuit-brealn'ng devices, to wit,the heat-res onsive switches, the valve-operated switc es, and-also thedoor-and-window-operated switches, and in this diagram these switchesare all connected in such manner as to effect the same results as thoseillustrated in Fig. 22that is to say, each switch, when operated, iscapable ,of causing the master box to transmit a signal over both thedistrict messenger line and the telephone line. In Fig. 23 however, the

different kinds 'of switches or circuit brealc'ng' devices, are allconnected in series in one large shunt, rather than in a plurality ofshunts, which latter is the case in Fig. 22. In Fig. 22, the resistancesof the different ated, as by inserting the resistance coils ustrated inthis figure, so as to cause a sufficient amount of current to flowthrough the relay in the master box whenever one of the shunts is o enedor broken. In 23 this regulation 0 the resistance is, however,unnecessarythat is to say, it is only necessary that one large shunt, inwhich all of the diflerent kinds of switches are connected in series, beof lower resistance than the coils of the relay in the master box,inasmuch as this one shunt constitutes the only Referring to ig. 1,which, as previously stated, illustrates a combined telephone, fireshort circuiting path around the said relay.

alarm and district messenger system, A indi-' cates the signal-receivingand recording device, which is located at the central station of thedistrict messenger system. B indicates generally the switchboardapparatus located at the exchange or central station of an ordinarycommonbattery telephone system. C

indicates the master box, which is located at the subscribersstationthat is to say, the station at which the sub-station telephoneapparatus is located, and which is, therefore, connected both with thetelephone exchange station and also with the central station of thedistrict messenger system. E indicates the automatic circuit-breakingdevices, which are also located at the subscribers station, but whichare distributed in diii'erentportions of the building. F indicates theordinary call boxes of the district messenger system, these boxes beingconnected in the ordinary manner with the signal-receiving and recordingdevice A at the central station. The purpose of the diiierentinstrumentalities thus organized into one system, and also the generalmethod of operation of the same, may be first explained, so that thegeneral purpose or utility of the invention may be better understoodwhen the specific construction is hereinafter described.

The construction and arrangement is such that should the subscribersbuilding or substation catch on fire, the heat at any part of thebuilding will cause one of the devices E to open the circuit in whichthey are located, thereby causing the master box C to be set inoperation. pulled condition, and when thus automatically releasedtransmits a distinctive signal over the line to the signal-receivingdevice A at one station, and also over the subscribers telephone line tothe switchboard line signal I) at the other central station. And in addition to this, the operation of the master box causes a local alarm to besounded, such, for example, as the bell G. As stated, the signaltransmitted over the telephone line to the switchboard operator is of adistinctive char acterthat is to say, of a very difierent character thanthe ordinary call for a telephone connection. This is also the case withthe signal transmitted to the operator at the central station of thedistrict messenger system, and in this way neither operator has anydifiiculty whatever in distinguishinlgl the fire alarm signal from theordinary ca This master box is normally in a for a telephone connection,or ior the ordi normally together by means of a suitable connection 3.This connection is preferably oi such a character that it will weakenand break upon the application of heat. In other words, it is of such anature that it Wlll at least give way and allow the spring contact 2 tomove away from the stationary contact 1, upon a rise of temperature inits immediate locality, say to the point of 125 Fahrenheit. Thus eachcircuit-openmgdevice E is capable of opening the shunt 4 when thetemperature in the building rises above the normal, as, for example, 1ncase of fire. This shunt, it will be seen, is connected in series withone of the windings 5 of the differential relay 6. The other winding ofthis relay is in the main or call-boxcircu t of the district messengersystem. This mam or call connectionaround this coil 7.

box circuit includes the line conductors 8 and 9 leading respectivelyfrom the station at which thesignal-receiving device A is located to thecasing of the master box at 10,

and to the insulated spring contact finger 11 of said box. Thus it willbe seen that the coil 7 of the differential relay'is in a line conductor8, and that the coil 5 and the circuitopening devices E are in a shuntor parallel The armature '12 of this differential relay is normally incontact with the escapement 1.3, which is a well known element of anordinary call box. This master box is also provided with a pair ofrotary contact disks 14 and 15, the first electrically connected withthe casing of the box and arranged to have its periphery engaged by thespring contact finger 11. The other disk is insulated from the box, andis engaged by the other sprin finger 16.

A ocking device in the form of a notched arm 17 is provided, said devicebeing adapted to catch and hold the armature 12 in a depressedcondition, after the armature has been attracted and drawn downward bythe magnet of the relay. The master box is also provided with akcoupl ofinsulated spring contacts 18 and 19, adapted to be brought together bythe handle of the master box when'the latter is released and allowed toswing around in an anti-clockwise direction. The main or crank shaft ofthe 'master box'is also provided with an arm 20, :whichengages the upperend 21 of the locking' lever 1 7 when the handle is released, and whichf thereby automatically unlocks the I armature '12, so as toallow thelatter to as sume its normal position in engagement with the escapementwheel 13. VVhen' released, the arm 20 on the crank shaft is also adaptedto slide over and make contact with the contact piece 22. The insulatedcontact disk 15 is electrically connected with the subscribers telephoneline through the medium of the insulated contact finger 23 and theconductor 24. The spring finger 16is con nected with the other limb ofthe subscribers telephone line through the medium of the conductor 25. Anormally'open shunt 26, extending around the differential relay,connectsat one end with the line conductor 8, and at the other end withthe contact 22. The usual battery or other source of current supply a ispreferably located in the line which terminates at the central stationhaving the signal-receiving and recording device A. v

The telephone apparatus, both at the sub scribers station and at theexchange or cen tral station, can be of anyknown, suitable or approvedcharacter. Preferably, however, as stated, the switchboard apparatusinvolves a line signal 1), adapted to have its circuit closed by theline relay 12 The current for energizing this relay,-and also forlighting the said lamp, is supplied from the battery I), which islocated at the central station or exchange. The switchboard apparatuscan be connected with the substation apparatus by means of the two lineconductors b and b Now, with the foregoing construction, the circuitsand operations are as follows. Suppose the building in which thesubscribers line or substation is located catches fire. The rise oftemperature in any one of the rooms of the building will cause one ofthe connections 3 to Weaken and break, thereby allowing one of thesprings 2 to move awayfrom the stationary contact 1. This, of course,opens the shunt circuit 4, allowing all of the current of the normallyclosed line circuit, in which the battery a is included, to flow throughthe winding 7 of the differential relay. As long as the currentcontinues to flow through both coils of this relay, it, of course,remains unenergized and incapable of setting the master box inoperation. But as soon as the shunt is opened, then, as stated, all ofthe current is caused to flow through one coil of this relay, therebycausing it to become energized sufficiently to attract its armature 12.Now, as previously explained, this master box C is normally in a pulledcondition and is locked in such condition by the armature 12. So as soonas this armature is drawn away from the escapement 13, the spring 27 ofthis master box starts to unwind, and in unwinding produces a rotationof the two disks 14 and 15 through the medium of suitable gearing. Thisrotation of the two disks continues, and is in no way interrupted by thesaid armature, inasmuch as the arm 17 catches and holds the armature inits depressed condition. The two disks rotating in this manner cooperatewith the spring fingers 11 and 16 to produce the wellknownmake-and-break action, which is characteristic of devices of thisnature.

The make-and-break action produced by the disk 14 and the spring contactfinger 11 v,causes an intermittent make-and-break of the circuitincluding the signal-receiving device A, and consequently a signal istransmitted over the line to the operator at the central station of thedistrict messenger sys: tem. In order to prevent confusion of signals,this make-and-break action can be of a character to produce adistinctive signal-- that is to say, a signal very different from thatproduced. by the mere pulling of one of the ordinary call boxes F. Inthis way, the district messenger operator is enabled to distinguishbetween a fire alarm signal and an ordinary call for a messenger. Duringthe unwinding of the spring in the master box and the consequentrotation of the crank handle, shown in dotted lines, the arm 20 onthecrank shaft slides over the contact 22,-thereby closing the shunt 26,which ex tends around the differential relay. Thus, durlng the operationof the master box, the

. difierential relay is out of the circuit, and the make-and-breakaction isconfined to a line c1rcu1t which includes no unnecessary resistance, or no devices which will in any way interfere with thetransmission of the signal. In addition to the signal thus transmittedto the district operator, the rotary disk 15 and the spring contactfinger 16, coo erate to produce a similar make-a'nd-brea action, and aconsequent transmission of a signal, from the master box'over asubscribers telephone line to the switchboard operator at the exchangeor central station of the telephone system. The intermittent opening andclosing of the telephone line circuit produce an intermittent energizingof the line relay 1), and a consequent intermittent flashing or glowingof the line lamp 1;, due to the vibratory movement of the armatureagainst the contact I). The signal thus given by the line lamp signal ofthe telephone switchboard apparatus is so different in character fromthe ordinary call for a connection that the 136168110118 operatorhas'nodiflicultywhatever in stinguishing between the two kinds of signals. Itis, of course, ossible for the subscriber to produce a si arintermittent flashing or glowing of the line lamp, but it will bereadily understood. that the makeand-break efiect in'theline circuit,produced by the disk 15 and spring finger 16, can be of a predeterminedcharacter, and of a nature very difierent from anything that it would bepossible for :the subscriber to produce by i simply vibrating thetelephone hook switch.

But evenif there should be any uncertaintyas to the significance of thesignal given by the line lamp, the operator can then insert thenpressing lug b" in the jack b and by er listening key I)", so as toconnect her head'telephone b with the line,

the answering she can then plainly hear the rumbling or rattling soundproduced by the operation of the master box. She then knows, of course,that the signal is an alarm of fire and not a call for connection withsome other telephone subscriber. Thus, the single call box, or. masterbox as I prefer to term it, is capable of responding to the action of agreat number of automatic circuit-breaking devices, such as the devicesE, and in this way the fire involves practically a minialarm apparatusThe ordinary call mum number of devices.

, boxes F can be of the usual form or construction. This is also true ofthe master box,

with the exception, of course, that in this case it is provided with theadditional disk 15 and contact finger 16, and also with the differentialrelay, and the locking arm 17. The shunt connection and contact 22,together with the normally separated contacts 18 and 19, are alsodevices not usually found in the ordinary call box. But otherwise, asstated, this master box may be constructed in the same manner astheboxes F.

Figs. 13 and 14 illustrate a well known form of call box mechanism, withthe exception of the addition of a relay with a lockin armature, andalso of a couple of additiona contacts. With these exceptions, the formof call box mechanism shown is the kind which I prefer to employ in eachand every case where a call box is hereinafter illustrated. It will beunderstood, however, that I do not limit myself to any particular formof call box mechanism.

In Fig. 2, the results accomplished, as far as signaling is concerned,are substantially the same as Fig. 1. In Fig. 2 the master box, however,has a somewhat difierent construction. As illustrated, the master box Gin Fig. 2 is provided with an ordinary relay 9, instead of thedifierential relay employed in Fig. 1. Furthermore, in Fig. 2 there isno shunt which is automatically closed to cut out the relay when the boxis set in operation. In this instance, when one of the circuit-breakingdevices E is operated, it throws all the current from the battery 0,through the relay 9, which being thus energized attracts the armatureand releases the escapement, as in the previous construction. Normally,the current in the said battery finds a path of least resistance throughthe two line conductors, and through the shunt 4, as in the previouscase, the current normally flowing through this shunt and the conductor'28, thence through the contact and the insulated contact 30 on thecrank shaft arm 31, thence through the other contact 32, through theconductor 33, through the conductor 34 and the insulated binding post35, through the conductor 36 and the contact finger 37, and thencethrough the disk 3S and "he casing of the box to the other lineconductor 8. But when the shunt is broken, the current then flows fromthe hne conductor 9 through. the coils of the relay g,

thence through the conductors 39 and 34 to the binding post 35, andthence out through the m ake-and-break devices through the casing of thebox to the other line conductor 8, the contact on the arm 31 havingmoved away from the contacts 32 and 29. Thus, the box G is set inoperation, in the same manner that the master box C is set in operationin Fig. 1. The make-and-break action in the two circuits, that of thedistrict messenger system and the telephone system,

causes the transmission of signals in the manner already described.

Figs. 15 and 16 illustrate the call box construction employed for themaster boxG. In this case, the armature g of the relay is, after the boxhas been set in operation, held away from the escapement by the arm 9which is held against the armature by the in Fig. 1, and with thefurther exception that I 35 4 can be the same as the master box shown ofthe local alarm G which latter is a feature I .45 master box, and whichwhen broken throws 50 line to the s1gnalreceiving device A.

/ 878,012 a l I l I '5 rod 9 the latter having its upper end secured tothe arm 9* on the rotary crank shaft. With this arrangement, the arm 9is pressed and held against the armature as soon'as the the crank shaftstarts to revolve.

In Fig. 3, the master box I is substantially the same as the master'boxshown in Fig. l, with the exception that an" ordinary relay i isemployed in place of the differential relay no local alarm contacts areemployed. Furtherinore, in- Fig. 3, there is no second makeand-breakdevice in the master box I, inasmuch as in'this diagram no telephonecon- 5 nections are shown. A special arrangement in the master box Iconsists of the normallyopen shunt '11, adapted to be closed by thecontact 71 on the armature of the relay. When this relay is energized asthe result of theautomatic operation of any one of the circuit-breakingdevices E, this contact 6 makes contact with the two contacts i therebyclosing the shunt which extends around therelay magnets. This, ofcourse,

then operates to cutout the magnets during the operation of the box. Theconstruction of this master box I is illustrated on an en larged scaleby Fig. 21.

In Fig. 4, the automatic operation of one of the fusiblecircuit-breaking devices only operates to transmit a signal to thedistrictmessenger operator, or to. the station at which thesignal-receiving and recording device A is located. The master box H inF ig.

in Fig. 2, with the exce tion, of course, that the second make-andreakdevice is not necessary. Furthermore, in the master box H .provision ismade for closing the circuit of the circuit arrangements shown in Figs.1 and 2. As in Fig.2, the automatic circuitb'reaking devices E arearranged in the shunt 4, which extends around the relay h in the theentire flow of current through this relay for the purpose of setting themaster box in operation. When set in operation, this master box H onlytransmits a signal over the In Fig. 5, I have illustrated theapplication of my improved signaling system to the supervision of anautomatic fire extinguisher system. In this figure, J represents the ordinary vertical pipe or riser, as it is called, of an automatic fireextinguisher system, while 1'. indicates the horizontal or branch pipesextending from the said riser. In a fire extinguisher system it is usualto provide a suitcoable number of valves 7' for controlling the flow ofwater through the piping. VVhen these valves are open, the water is freeto flow throu h the piping and discharge from the spr' ing hea s, shouldthe latter be 5 automatically opened or released by fire. It

is obvious. then, of course, that the accidental or malicious orintentional closing of one or more of these valves, might produce veryserious results. For example, should one or more of these valves beclosed, so as to 7 cut oil? the water supply, then-the building inwhichthe system is located will not be prglpgerly protectedagainst fire.In other wor as soon as the water is turned off in the pi es, therelease or opening of any of the sprln er 7 heads will not produce thedesired discharge of water. Now in order that an effective supervisionmay be. maintained over an automatic fire extinguisher system of thischaracter, I associate a contact-breaking device 30 K with each valve,each device con's1sting. of

a stationary contact is and a spring contact 7: These circuit-breakingdevices are all. serially connected in the shunt 4, which is I connectedwith the master box L in the same 5 manner as the shunt 4 is connectedwith the 'master box H in Fig. 4. In fact, the construction of themaster box L can be substantially the same as the said master box shownin Fig. 4. Each spring is is arranged in position to be enga ed by a pinor projection on the stem of the adjacent valve. Consequently, when avalve is closed, the contact device allotted to such valve operates toopen the shunt 4, thereby causing all of the current from the battery ato flow through the electre-magnet Z of the master box. The flow ofcurrent, thus shiftedto a path including the coils of said relay,operates to automatically release the master box. 1. 0 The said box,when set in operation, then transmits a signal over the line to thesignalreceiving and recording device A. The district messenger operator,observing this signal, then understands that one of the valves 5 in thefire extinguisher system has been either intentionally or otherwiseclosed, and that the system, or'at least some portion of it, has beenrendered inoperative, as far as putting out a fire is concerned. Theoperator can then, of course, advise the owner of the building, or otherinterested parties, as-

to the condition of the fire extinguisher system.

In Fig. 6, the circuit-breaking device con- 5 sists of a pair of springsk and 7C3 normally connected by a rivet or other like connection is. henthe valve is closed, the pin on the valve stem engages the projectingortion of the spring 75, and the connection c is then 1 broken. This, ofcourse, operates to open the shunt circuit, in the same manner that theclosing of one of the valves operates to open the shunt circuit in Fig.5.

In Fig. 7, the circuit arrangement is substantially the same as'in Fig..4. In Fig. 7, however, the circuit-breaking devices in the shunt areapplied to the doors and Windows of a house, rather than to valves in afire extinguisher system, and rather than to fusible connections. Withthis arrangement, each I consist of a stationary contact. 40, themovable contact 41, together with the plunger42 adapted to engage theedge of the door or wm ow. With this arrangement, the contacts of eachcircuit-breaking device are nor- 1 mally closed or held together whenthe doors 1 and windows are closed. But should a door{ character shownin Fig. 9 is also applicable or window be opened, then the contactsallotted to such door or window will be al-i lowed to separate,thereby'opening the shunt, and thereby energizing the magnet m in themaster box. sets the normally pulled box in o e'ration in the mannerpreviously describe This master box M can be'the same as the master boxshown in Fig. 4.

In Fig. 9, I have illustrated another circuit arrangement forsupervising an automatic fire extinguisher system. In this case,

the circuit-closing devices N, which are asso- 'ciated with the valvesn, are located in a normally 0 en grounded circuit, whichincludes one oft e limbs of the main line'circuit extending between the subscribersstation and the central station of the district messenger system.Normally, the line circuit of the district messenger system is closedfrom one limb of, the line through the casing of the master box O,throughthe disk 0' and contact I finger 0, and through the conductor 0and the. insulated binding 0st 0 to the othersideof the line. This cosed circuit includes the usual battery or generator'a, and also thesignal-receiving and recording device A at the central station. One sideof the line at the'centralstation is grounded at a, the groundconnection containing a condenser 0?. The system of piping is groundedat it, while all of the springs of-the circuit-closing devices N areelectrically connected by the conductors 43 with the electro-magnet o inthe master box 0. The other side .of this magnet is connected with astationary contact 0 adapted to bear against a contact 0 on an armmounted on the crank shaft.- One of the line conductors is connectedwith the other stationary'contact 0 through the medium of the conductor44 and the condenser 45. The system may, of course, contain one or moreof the ordinary call boxes F. With this arran ement, a closing of one ofthe valves 'nwi lclose the grounded circuit including the two condensersa and 45, the battery it and the electro-magnets of the relay '0. Bothof the condensers are, it will be seen,

' normally connected through a continuous conductor with opposite sidesof the battery,

and thus the condensers are normally charged,

or example, each device may.

The energizing of this magnet so to s eak, and when the grounded circuitis thus 0 osed the static effect of the currents utilized to produce amomentary impulse of current through the circuit sufficient to energizethe relay. 0 This relay then attracts its armature and releases themechanism of the master box, the same as the mechanism is released inthe box shown in Fig. 4. The grounded circuit, as shown, for thusoperating the relay, includes the circiiitclosing device N, and also thepiping of the extinguisher system. w

Referring to Figs. 10, 11 and 12, it will be seen that a groundedcondenser circuit of the to a system in which the circuits includenormally separated contacts adapted to be closed by the weakening orgiving way of fusible connections. In Fig. 10, an arrangement is shownin which the piping 46 of the automatic fire extinguisher system isutilized as a part of the grounded condenser circuit. This piping, itwill be seen, is connected to ground at 47. The master box P issubstantially the same as the master box shown in Fig. 9. The ordinarycall boxF is also of the character previously illustrated and described.As in the previous case, the district messenger system involves thebattery (1 and the signal-receiving and recording device A. One side ofthe line is grounded at 48, the ground connection including the condenser 49. One terminal of the relay 1) is connected with the piping inthe fire extinguisher system through the medium of a number ofcircuit-closing devices 50. Each circuit-closing device may consist of apair of springs normally held apart by the fusible or other likeconnection 51.. The other terminal of the relay is connected with thestationary contact 7) through the medium of the conductor p and thecondenser 1)". Normally, the line circuit is closed from one side of theline through the casing of the box, through the contact wheel p and itsfinger, and thence through the insulated binding post p to the otherside of the line. The other side of the line is connected with thecontact 2) through the medium of the conductor 52. With thisarrangement, the piping of the fire extinguisher system is utilized as aportion of the grounded circuit for the condensers'and the relay, andthe closing of any one of the cir-' cuit-closing devices 50 will causethe charged condensers to produce a momentary impulse of current throughthe grounded circuit. This impulse of current will. cause the relay p tobecome energized, thereby automatically setting the box in operation,and causing the same to transmit the aforedescribed signal over the lineto the central station. In this way, the operator, as previouslydescribed, is given a distinctive signal indicating the presence of firein the building in which the master box is located. In Fig. 11, the con-

